Asthma and obesity have been on the rise since the 1980s, and now count as two of America's most pressing public health problems: about eight percent of the American population is living with asthma, while about 30 percent is obese. "For many Americans, obesity and asthma go hand in hand," says Dr. Gwen Skloot from The Mount Sinai Medical Center. "Not only is obesity a risk factor for developing asthma, but obesity is associated with more difficult to control asthma and decreased efficacy of certain common treatments." Learn more